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Message: [QUOTE="Big Pete, post: 3695838, member: 1899"] [B]Gold Coast Titans 2025[/B] 1. Keano Kini 2. Alofiana Khan-Pereira 3. Brian Kelly 4. Phillip Sami 5. Jojo Fifita 6. Jayden Campbell 7. AJ Brimson 8. Moeaki Fotuaika 9. Sam Verrills 10. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui 11. David Fifita 12. Beau Fermor 13. Chris Randall 14. Kieran Foran 15. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 16. Klese Haas/Arana Hau/Jack Alick-Wiencke/etc. 17. Josiah Pahulu It was a horror season for the Gold Coast Titans. They kicked things off with a 0-7 record, suffered key injuries and the biggest story was the future of David Fifita who pulled a stunning about-face to stay at the club. It's all too familiar story with the Titans and while there's cause for some optimism, it remains to be seen whether they'll deliver on it. The big story so far this pre-season is the plan around Kieran Foran. It appears Des will use him in a similar capacity that Manly would use Cliffy Lyons in his later years or how Bennett would use Benji. I think it's a good call, Foran is playing on borrowed time but he could be very useful during key intervals which is where the Titans have often been found wanting. It's just a question of who the starting halves will be. It appears that Des has taken a page out of Bellamy's book and has decided that fullback is the new halfback. I thought there were some good signs with that Kini-Campbell combination, it was reminiscent of times of what you'd see from Walsh and Mam at their best. However the jury is out on AJ. If he can get back to his best, play off the front foot and study his Jahrome Hughes tapes then maybe. However he's had a few stints in the halves before and I don't think he's ever played as well as he has at fullback. He just isn't afforded the same amount of space and he's so much more effective against a staggered line. At least it appears that Des has made a decision around his fullback. Granted we only got a taste of what Kini was capable of, but in both those wins against the Warriors and Broncos, Kini was ruthless and there is so much talent to work with. If they can work out the best attacking shapes to get him 1-1 he's going to tear teams apart. The pack looks good on paper and theoretically should be coming into it's own, but I don't think it has enough grit. Sure they have players who are capable of the odd big run and they can work it down-field, but when things go awry, so often they compound the error with a cheap penalty and effectively lose the game then and there. They all have to show some maturity and prove they're not afraid to do the hard yakka. With that said, it would certainly help if they received more support from their backline. Specifically from Kelly and Sami, two veterans who have both played over 100 games and yet they're as inconsistent as ever. Ramien used to be one of the most frustrating players to follow, but I think after last year Kelly may have leapfrogged him (Staggs is mounting a case too). He makes some of the most baffling decisions and has far too much license in this team. Both need to start strong here, otherwise Des needs to make a big call. Never the less, I expect more of the same from the Gold Coast. Play through the middle, work it to an edge then set a big backline to give Fifita and Khan-Pereira enough room to wreak havoc. The big change will likely be a higher focus on generating second phase as opposed to quick play the balls. With the size of Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and RCG, I think they'll be looking to shovel the ball on and it'll go to Campbell who will have Kini sitting inside his pocket through out. That could very well change if the Gold Coast don't sort out this Pahulu situation. That story has seemed to die down somewhat because he was all but signed sealed and delivered to Canterbury. Maybe it's still in the works, in which case that would open up a space on the bench because I can't see the Titans committing to Josiah in spite of his talent. I think exit sets could prove problematic and they could very well lose the meterage battle without a recognised kicker. I think teams will opt to kick to Khan-Pereira and limit Kini's space as much as possible. Depth in the centres still poses an issue and the Gold Coast could find themselves weakening their pack and playing Fermor there to compensate. I'd imagine they'll be in the market for a centre if one pops up in free agency. Last year they went 8-16 with a lot of wins during the Origin period. I'd expect more of the same but for the wins to be more spread out. However I also expect there to be some turbulence, particularly with the halves and the backline and I don't think that will settle this year. The depth is also a concern. None of their affiliates played finals last year, so they're practically leaning on their Mal Meninga Cup players to make a speedy transition. There's some quality talent in Harrison, Stephensen, Bai and Williams but they'll have to prove themselves in ISC before they get their opportunity. The Gold Coast didn't go overboard with their recruitment drive so they'll need to ensure the pathways are strong if they're actually going to challenge for a premiership sometime this millenia. [/QUOTE]

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